tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53492639809898964762024-03-12T19:42:41.181-07:00Tech SpectatorA Silicon Valley writer's blogJeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-41887470096131313032012-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:002012-08-20T12:11:39.482-07:00iPad for the On-the-Go Writer<style>
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I just returned from a conference about a <a href="http://www.oracle.com/us/products/database/exadata/overview/index.html">hot enterprise technology</a> where I used my iPad to soak up
notes, images, video interviews and BROLL, and organize them for future use. I
will use the notes and interviews as fodder for stories for the next 6 months. No laptop on this trip. I used an application called <a href="http://www.fluidtouch.biz/noteshelf/">Noteshelf</a> along with the iPad's native photo and video apps. </div>
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I took 39 pages of notes. Here’s a page of my Noteshelf
notes:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1l5t2i8atIWGMJ6AsyAMHGdO7C6J2pBPpQz6X78QkYJ8tI36dz-E0la4Z7b4TZPPYPsmQaqwTzE6nr1EMERusE-y56gHvtZa5P4jP7Pi2AHz021-TXUYXTew18ZtClJJXqmp1pzDO1k/s1600/E4Exadata+Conference+P25+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1l5t2i8atIWGMJ6AsyAMHGdO7C6J2pBPpQz6X78QkYJ8tI36dz-E0la4Z7b4TZPPYPsmQaqwTzE6nr1EMERusE-y56gHvtZa5P4jP7Pi2AHz021-TXUYXTew18ZtClJJXqmp1pzDO1k/s320/E4Exadata+Conference+P25+copy.png" width="254" /></a></div>
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I wrote notes with a rocking
<a href="http://www.wacom.com/en/products/bamboo/bamboostylus.aspx">Bamboo stylus</a>, snapped pictures of speaker's slides, cropped them, and pulled them
into my notes. This all happened so quickly I never lost track
of the presentation. </div>
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The notes are easily searchable in the Noteshelf
app (see below) and I can export them to <a href="http://evernote.com/">Evernote</a>, so when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I'm writing a story three months down the road I won't be wondering where I stashed my notes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovQKIImrpSR965SsqqYgjehvVh88PhOvbzD7UMtvdTALeAKB4TNuxZWFRb6gYcfUilh-cJtV4achlIOfDOe03asBKzjKAQeANDDperBNNvZZr7IRVV8d7p_TqbQXSidcXupcrnnPLxHg/s1600/Photo_noteshelf_list.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovQKIImrpSR965SsqqYgjehvVh88PhOvbzD7UMtvdTALeAKB4TNuxZWFRb6gYcfUilh-cJtV4achlIOfDOe03asBKzjKAQeANDDperBNNvZZr7IRVV8d7p_TqbQXSidcXupcrnnPLxHg/s320/Photo_noteshelf_list.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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The image above shows how Noteshelf allows you to flip through the pages of your notebook. I color code the names of speakers or interviewees so I can easily spot them as I flip through the notebook. The app also allows you to tag and search, but I like this more visual search function.<br />
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I tried several other note-taking apps before I found Noteshelf, including Notes Plus and Penultimate. Noteshelf seemed easiest to write on: You can rest your hand on the screen, it's good a good pen selection, the interface for adding images and text from other sources is simple. One thing is doesn't have is a way to convert your handwriting to text.<br />
<br />
If you’re writing in a standard paper notebook, I would
strongly suggest you upgrade to the iPad with Noteshelf. <br />
<br />
Writers might also check out
the new <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20120815/new-samsung-tablet-offers-a-stylus-and-a-split-screen/">Galaxy Note 10.1-inch tablet</a> because this kind of note taking and
collaboration is built in to the device's native software.<br />
<br />
In a future post I will discuss my experience creating and publishing on the iPad. For now, this is being written on my laptop.</div>
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Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-6740442061233627772012-07-19T15:13:00.000-07:002012-07-24T10:24:24.950-07:00Pointless, Incessant Barking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjis2VFNBvVeRQD-h7403tDMQWuS84YKsLrksPAN23Bj89n3eBwd1VC5AHkb682t5VYBybiDv0q4B-MxP85dg2mV65eQyGXoCsDETyS25a0S1VexLSEOALaLTmHtQLt5UJwdvECRaF_8N8/s1600/IMG_3026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjis2VFNBvVeRQD-h7403tDMQWuS84YKsLrksPAN23Bj89n3eBwd1VC5AHkb682t5VYBybiDv0q4B-MxP85dg2mV65eQyGXoCsDETyS25a0S1VexLSEOALaLTmHtQLt5UJwdvECRaF_8N8/s320/IMG_3026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This cartoon speaks to why I’ve begun blogging again. </div>
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It goes like this, when you blog about a completed project have
to encapsulate it, describe it, explain it, and learn from it. Otherwise you
just push projects out the door and move on. As my old ad agency boss used to
say, “fire and forget.” </div>
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I don’t want to forget, I want to learn. Otherwise, as the
cartoon suggests, I’m left with incessant barking.</div>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-41662550234529755352009-07-28T11:18:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:43:36.286-07:00What I've Learned from Scripting Corporate Vids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDlNv0ffRvU2NeLl0oa7-v-Tc_i1P3LieNQvzIeTunBPMhb7S_Q8iWZ1PwnBuauy8fCihxoyMe2WZZrXcczSDhtIJK3to_l2GcK_xXXpST6bWhvvQUKxl360cKkDRbMJSc3rjKuNxm8g/s1600-h/IMG_0523.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDlNv0ffRvU2NeLl0oa7-v-Tc_i1P3LieNQvzIeTunBPMhb7S_Q8iWZ1PwnBuauy8fCihxoyMe2WZZrXcczSDhtIJK3to_l2GcK_xXXpST6bWhvvQUKxl360cKkDRbMJSc3rjKuNxm8g/s200/IMG_0523.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363577832221358562" /></a><br />As the script writer for several 11gR2 vignettes, I have been thinking about what we have done right so far and what we can improve. Here are my top five thoughts:<br /><br />1. Remember that people watch these all the way through because they care about the characters, not the information. Information delivery must be subservient to the story.<br><br />2. Don’t work too hard to build gags into the script. Concentrate on the motivations of the characters and let the gags come to us. For example, in the Active Data Guard video I worked to build the snow globe gag into the script, which in the end didn’t add that much to the story. By contrast, in the Advanced Compression video one character’s natural motivation to buy more hardware was shown brilliantly with the Disks-R-Us centerfold; we got humor and never left the main thrust of the story.<br><br />3. Don’t let marketing considerations kill the dramatic beats of the story. These beats take the viewer step by step in the direction we need them to go, both to satisfy the needs of the story and the needs of information delivery. In a beat, one character answers the thrust of another characters comment and moves the conversation in the direction he/she wants it to go. As the conversation moves along, the viewer is drawn naturally in the intended direction. But when we get bogged down with marketing requests too late in the scripting process this natural flow gets interrupted and the story suffers. <br><br />4. Get scripts to <a href="http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/04/30/lost-in-the-fog-director-john-corey/">the producer</a> with enough time for him to live with the script for a few days. This gives him time to design shots and suggest lines to fulfill his vision for the characters. If the script is built on solid character motivations and dramatic beats the producer, and later his actors, can let it all hang out and we end up with a better, funnier video.<br><br />5. On the day of the shoot have a product expert on hand to help with pronunciation and give the green light to ad libbed lines. If the product expert is laughing with the producer and actors, they know they can go for it.<br /><br />I look forward to working with everyone on the next round of vids.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-36761704699113899162009-07-28T10:50:00.000-07:002009-08-06T10:57:23.864-07:00Come in, Relax, Enjoy a Little “Implicit Learning”<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcYnJ7BCK76MS67Bi-DOYJtJMFXzyV6_vq4cs7_CmcOiHNM1PonzJO7WQABAI1FD2RccJGLDBSLYfr17JyymRrQuLMZ1SI6SKcQgOdmdSgQDP1O19eTgtuksZ-FbcaZM-D76hzuZgYgA/s1600-h/IMG_0529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcYnJ7BCK76MS67Bi-DOYJtJMFXzyV6_vq4cs7_CmcOiHNM1PonzJO7WQABAI1FD2RccJGLDBSLYfr17JyymRrQuLMZ1SI6SKcQgOdmdSgQDP1O19eTgtuksZ-FbcaZM-D76hzuZgYgA/s200/IMG_0529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363573800817566018" /></a> <br />Pick up Winifred Gallagher’s new book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rapt-Attention-Focused-Winifred-Gallagher/dp/1594202109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248730734&sr=1-1">Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life</a>”, and you’ll find arguments to support the “tech vignettes” we’ve been filming for Release 2 of Oracle Database 11<span style="font-style:italic;">g</span>. <br /><br />She describes “<a href="http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/impnexp.htm">implicit learning</a>” as a process of leaning something without intending to. It is, say researchers, the most natural way of acquiring information and skills. It’s how you learned to speak and perhaps how you learned to cook. Implicit learning is effortless. Think of watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiOMtdneUVc">Flags of Our Father</a>s vs. reading a dry WWII textbook. How does this link to our vignettes? <br /><br />If you want to learn something, anything, you must pay attention to it. You must be, as the title of Gallagher’s book suggests, rapt by it. Our vignettes attempt to hold our visitors rapt by telling them a story. They provide relief to the overburdened attention spans of our customers by not asking them to read marketing copy, but instead immersing them in the story and allowing them to receive a little implicit learning. <br /><br />The stories last a little over a minute and are based on funny, sympathetic characters living out struggles Oracle customers will instantly recognize. In the process of watching, they learn something valuable about the technology at the heart of the character’s dilemma. <br /><br />They will save us all from another <a href="http://news.zdnet.com/2420-13569_22-0.html">video white board</a> session. Look for these vignettes to hit Oracle.com in mid August.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-64766337321410176792009-07-17T14:59:00.000-07:002009-07-17T15:23:58.490-07:00An Interloper at ODTUG<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_YM4p2klz_7Z52BeEz6U-VHHhT7uwLaHEdZmzcbtbJAwdVookQvVWMeq21Pe07DaVlaFC0rMkewko_ZWuEM-V1IoYTebEoFuuPf4D4a97wghNUm7E33wGsbLQf2YDUdL-3TJlxAXHqs/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_YM4p2klz_7Z52BeEz6U-VHHhT7uwLaHEdZmzcbtbJAwdVookQvVWMeq21Pe07DaVlaFC0rMkewko_ZWuEM-V1IoYTebEoFuuPf4D4a97wghNUm7E33wGsbLQf2YDUdL-3TJlxAXHqs/s200/Picture+8.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557669479517250" /></a><br />If you see me at a user group conference pondering the conference guide, don’t think I’m looking for my session. What I’m looking for are the people who attend and teach sessions. Watch out, I might be looking for you. I’m at the conference to collect stories and information from experienced technologists and share them around. Here, for example, is what I picked up on two days at the recent ODTUG Kaleidoscope conference<br /><br />Three professionally produced videos: Two for Oracle Magazine that will be available later according to the magazine’s editorial calendar, and <a href="http://blogs.oracle.com/oracleopenworld/2009/07/eye_on_kaleidoscope.html">one for the OpenWorld blog</a>. Thanks to Scott Smith for his camera work and editing.<br /><br />Two magazine columns for my Up Close series (<a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-jul/o49upclose.html">print</a>, <a href="http://www.oracle.com/oramag/upclose/index.html">video</a>) on user groups. Those, too, will be available in future edition of the mag.<br /><br />Three flip video interviews for the <a href="http://blogs.oracle.com/databaseinsider/2009/06/mark_rittman_anticipates_his_f.html">Oracle Database Insider blog</a>, (and <a href="http://blogs.oracle.com/databaseinsider/2009/06/sue_harper_on_sql_developers_n.html">here</a>)which will be featured in the Oracle Database Insider <a href="http://www.oracle.com/newsletters/samples/database.html">newsletter</a>.<br /><br />Just as important are the current output of stories, are the people I get to know at meals and periods of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzOzrFAkRRc">goofing off</a>. As an example, my attendance at Kaleidoscope was a result of this earlier interview with ODTUG President, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A_axQ4bvd0">Mike Riley</a>, whom I came to through an encounter at the BIWA Summit.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-19990910560297338692009-06-05T11:50:00.000-07:002009-06-05T11:58:39.195-07:00Experimental Skype Interview with the Linux SIGOracle has better things to do with its money than send me to Milwaukee for a single interview. And yet I still have to get the story, AND the video. So Todd Sheetz of IOUG’s <a href="http://ioug.itconvergence.com/pls/apex/f?p=239:1:5069125406101436">Linux SIG</a>, was kind enough to take part in an experimental Skype interview for my <a href="http://ow.ly/bc9o">Up Close column</a>, which <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1094384/">Scott Smith</a> filmed and choreographed. You can also <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-jul/o49upclose.html">read</a> my Oracle Magazine Column about Todd’s experience with the SIG.<br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vb3S2kjlWtM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vb3S2kjlWtM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br />Note: One thing I would do differently next time is to plug a microphone into my laptop to improve the sound of Todd's voice. We made the mistake of recording it off the speakers in my laptop.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-77064339415565653942009-05-11T10:53:00.000-07:002009-05-11T11:04:35.071-07:00The Gift of SlackI wanted to expand on <a href="http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/03/very-good-advice.html#comments">Tom Kyte’s short post</a> about SLACK, which takes its cue from <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/slack.html">this post</a> by Seth Godin.<br /><br />My addition to Tom’s advice is this: If you find yourself suddenly with extra time on your hands (read laid off), offer your talents and your leadership to an <a href="http://www.iouc.org/p/cm/ld/fid=31">Oracle user group</a>. From what I’ve seen over the last year of writing the <a href="http://www.oracle.com/oramag/upclose/index.html">Up Close column</a> for Oracle Magazine, the groups are almost always hungry for volunteers to help them with their mission. In return for your time you gain notoriety, make new contacts, and you LEARN.<br /><br />Imagine the difference between going to an interview as an out of work DBA or developer vs. as an officer of an Oracle user group who is shopping his/her skills and contacts to a few lucky organizations. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeeuTxFbCApmbkdb0s-RmpvLti2foIOVLnMjVtbsAqp__EQJvX2Fsryx5piwy1i14rcpDyeHTO6AeRG2XMgMIDRBUcO2tjPWVWjlpyDDorLOHFV-MygjJKa0rG5TvhIXgIm8uwAaVNQg/s1600-h/Picture+25.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 44px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeeuTxFbCApmbkdb0s-RmpvLti2foIOVLnMjVtbsAqp__EQJvX2Fsryx5piwy1i14rcpDyeHTO6AeRG2XMgMIDRBUcO2tjPWVWjlpyDDorLOHFV-MygjJKa0rG5TvhIXgIm8uwAaVNQg/s200/Picture+25.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334626572622697122" /></a><br /><br />Side note: Slack time is when ideas erupt to the surface that have been long bubbling in your subconscious. They’ve been held down by a thick layer of deadlines and near term problem solving that fill the days of fully employed technologist. Take. some. time. to calm the waters of your mind and see what brilliant stuff floats to the top.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-64766375639476621822009-05-08T15:55:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:50:24.158-07:00More APEX Fun! Or, Can We Meld Creative Processes with Corporate Video?It’s been instructive to observe our progress as a creative group at Oracle as we strive to integrate our video department into the creative work process.<br /><br />For the first time we are producing videos that feature neither <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmjNf7H-21g&feature=channel_page">talking heads</a>, nor <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZRVed3nAw&feature=channel_page">corporate profiles</a>, two things at which our video department excels. Instead we are attempting to use our studio’s skills in lighting, sound, camera work, and editing to tell stories. Sound simple?<br /><br />It’s not. Instead of turning a camera towards an acknowledged expert and letting him/her speak, we’re crafting a script populated with characters who have motivations. That means we must first decide who those characters are and what their relationship is to each other. We must show that relationship while developing an overall message dictated by Oracle product managers. This requires a creative process whereby we generate ideas, we trash ideas; we write scripts, and then we argue over them and hone them with an eye towards the needs of the camera person, the actors, and eventually the film editor.<br /><br />It also means we must edit video with a new kind of precision and a new level of feeling. We need to edit film with our senses engaged enough to create tension with a pause or humor with a cut away.<br /><br />We have a lot of learning to do on all sides, but this silly little video represents a big step in the right direction. Enjoy.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Tb391SvkxU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Tb391SvkxU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="328" width="540"></embed></object>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-36673398019947416512009-04-27T16:40:00.000-07:002009-04-27T16:44:25.743-07:00Looking Forward to KaleidoscopeWatching <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-may/o39upclose.html">this interview</a> with Mike Riley of ODTUG reminds me of how proud he is of his user group’s annual conference, <a href="http://www.odtugkaleidoscope.com/">Kaleidoscope</a>. He knows people get a lot out of attending, and he convinced me; I’ll be there. This was Mikes first interview as president of the group and he did a great job for a guy who isn’t used to being peppered with questions on camera. You can also read my column on Mike, "<a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-may/o39upclose.html">Seriously Practical</a>", in the May/June 2009 issue of Oracle Magazine.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3A_axQ4bvd0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3A_axQ4bvd0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-14525956605629657852009-04-06T10:12:00.001-07:002009-04-06T11:35:41.636-07:00My Video Breakfast Takeaway: Work with a StorytellerCorporations are beginning to wrap their heads around Web video. Here are my quick impressions from a Web video leadership breakfast last Thursday morning. It was attended mostly by large Bay Area firms and the ad agencies that server them:<br /><br />Basic take away:<br />There is nothing better, of course, than having your <a href="http://blogs.oracle.com/otn/2008/01/install_oracle_database_with_y.html">customers </a>or rank-and-file employees tell the world how great you are. So encourage and display user-generated videos. Or, when you create your own videos, take time up front to work with a writer and story teller to make your content compelling and enjoyable. Regardless of what video you run, put the video where readers can lean more, or better yet, where they can (or must) provide contact information to become a sales lead.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fnu44-vp5PaYuWpIABem_DWoRvPqB0PE_hzMBVvQhU5OFSK3Jq4qhrtKJNBI7kzHtw4EmI8uBR75GapOZg7fnS1sir5sVBM5CLLFRgz7bmYDdlpnBrZZiYFqtp9leOouSrTv8rDdQHw/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fnu44-vp5PaYuWpIABem_DWoRvPqB0PE_hzMBVvQhU5OFSK3Jq4qhrtKJNBI7kzHtw4EmI8uBR75GapOZg7fnS1sir5sVBM5CLLFRgz7bmYDdlpnBrZZiYFqtp9leOouSrTv8rDdQHw/s200/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321648549151546738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Presenters:<br />Autodesk does a good job of <a href="http://autocad.autodesk.com/">incorporating video</a> from their users. As a company who’s software enables 3D design, they get cool videos from users. Note that if you try to watch several videos, they will ask you to register; an example of turning video into lead generation.<br /><br />Autodesk’s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJJRjLLfr2U">presenter</a> used an acronym I like: SPLAP. It’s used by the creative underclass at Autodesk when dealing with company marketing people and executives. It means “Speak Like a Person”.<br /><br />Cisco discussed, among other things, how they bring video into their internal corporate communication. Their advice in a nutshell:<br /><ul><li>Keep it short (60 seconds, 90 seconds are best.)</li><li>Keep it human </li><li>Integrate your brand look and feel</li><li>Invest in communication (drive people to the video, give them somewhere to go after)</li></ul>One simple thing that tells me Cisco knows what it’s doing is the quick, well-branded intro to <a href="http://blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/cisco_celebrates_intels_new_server_processor/">this Web videos.</a><br /><br />Sun presented what they’ve learned on <a href="http://channelsun.sun.com/video.">Channel Sun</a>. Because they were early adopters of Web video there is a lot of stuff here that doesn’t work. What I think works best are the round table discussions where you get the opinions of several different people guided by a moderator.<br /><br />PR Newswire showed their video enabled, <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/popcap/35519/">multimedia press releases</a>.<br /><br />I was unaware that Oracle would be presenting and found the most interesting part of our presentation to be the company’s attempts to host virtual events and virtual trade shows. But those are mostly behind the firewall, so no links here.<br /><br />I managed to ask one question during the panel session. I asked whether solid script writing and storytelling was something these people valued. I got a pretty honest response. The said that they valued it, but that it was hard to come by. Often they just had to shoot, edit, and post a video with no storytelling oversight. That, they agreed, was regrettable.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-4522779735793444162009-03-16T15:38:00.000-07:002009-03-17T15:44:49.175-07:00Video Fun with Oracle APEX 3.2I ran into <a href="http://dpeake.blogspot.com/">David Peake</a> several months back at a small <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/index.html">OTN</a> event and we had the following conversation while waiting for an elevator:<br /><br />David: I have a cool new release coming up but not enough dough for a full-blown demo project.<br />Jeff: I have an idea for a short video show that could work for you.<br />Dave and Jeff together: Let’s do it!<br /><br />The result is the video below. This is the first One-Minute Oracle show, so I am anxious for feedback. Caveat: This is an awareness tool, not, obviously, a technical how-to video (I’m working on those, too).<br /><br />Caveat #2: This is a marketing piece for one technical approach that is not necessarily recommended by Oracle. Oracle offers <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/forms/forms_modernization.html">other approaches</a> you should explore.<br /><br /><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pfOZO_0xhTw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pfOZO_0xhTw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="295" width="480"></embed></object>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-31597067897428423112009-03-10T11:35:00.000-07:002009-03-10T11:46:20.584-07:00LA Story: Being vs Doing at Oracle?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SatAqrczGoE2ls9LCPLMPcSbu4H-AiDxMlWZxs_e8ecFdlAOm3FFVQwgdPxplJgO2jvgMiuvrs7aDWnmW5ODyTIOiCsKBLd4Slqdn75u_u9GgnLgrknRgusRHc_86rtWTVSlp9ikx4U/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SatAqrczGoE2ls9LCPLMPcSbu4H-AiDxMlWZxs_e8ecFdlAOm3FFVQwgdPxplJgO2jvgMiuvrs7aDWnmW5ODyTIOiCsKBLd4Slqdn75u_u9GgnLgrknRgusRHc_86rtWTVSlp9ikx4U/s200/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311632019880483234" border="0" /></a><br />The most important thing to take from Bob McKee’s <a href="http://www.mckeestory.com/about.html">story seminar</a> is not a set of techniques, but an understanding of motivations. Why do people do what they do and how do they react when things go wrong?<br /><br />Part of the weekend is given over to watching and analyzing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/">Casablanca</a>. The main character’s battle is best characterized not as a quest for love, but as a battle between Being and Doing. Being is pure love, constant and always, and Doing is duty and social demands. The hero must find in himself a way to reconcile the two.<br /><br />When a writer can look more deeply and clearly at his or her characters' motivations they can rest a more solid story on their shoulders. I don’t see my <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-mar/o29upclose.html">columns</a> and <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-jan/o19embedded.html">stories</a> for Oracle taking on the weight or Being vs Doing. But I can think more clearly about the motivations of each actor in them and build a stronger narrative. The weekend was well worth it.<br /><br />Warning if you go: Don’t let your phone or computer make any noise or he’ll charge you $10. My iPhone chirped with a meeting notice and I had to walk to the stage and hand him the money while the audience laughed. If you have an iPhone, <a href="http://txfx.net/2008/07/15/iphone-silent-switch-is-ignored-by-many-applications/">clicking the silent mode isn’t enough</a>, you must disable sound for meeting notices in the preferences.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-22769721359941394642009-02-23T14:46:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:17:07.529-08:00A Salute to Dan Vlamis' College GirlfriendMy interview with Dan Vlamis, of the <a href="http://ioug.itconvergence.com/pls/apex/f?p=219:1:2842691871212859">BIWA SIG</a>, is missing some key points. Neither the video nor the Oracle Magazine <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/09-mar/o29upclose.html">column</a> talk about his degree in technology from Brown or the fact that he took the job that launched his <a href="http://www.vlamis.com/">Oracle-based BI </a>career just to be near his girlfriend. But these my friends are facts. The Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing world can thank that girlfriend (soon to become his wife) for luring Vlamis to Information Resources, Inc. where he worked on the pcExpress calculation engine that is even today part of <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/olap/index.html">Oracle OLAP</a>.<br /><br /><object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3299613&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3299613&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3299613">Up Close Interview: Dan Vlamis, BIWA Summit</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user844656">Oracle Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-70862155084525500622009-02-16T09:22:00.000-08:002009-02-16T10:01:16.601-08:00Coming to a Playful Decision<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bigthink.com/johncacioppo/john-cacioppo-on-loneliness-and-capitalism"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwjahDrXDIe_EfKu0dlaAnqKsZ5Y8DtpZMjDTTC0EprQyfsooeoSrSlDSK4jjo66U1aTGq_1F_6ddORgue1KGC_8V9iswxhAZvynPfnhl4KDzejY-7eoCENK5i6PekIGR1UPwVQRM1oA/s320/Picture+4.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303451461612747618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While watching this eight-minute talk by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loneliness-Human-Nature-Social-Connection/dp/0393061701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234562884&sr=1-1">John Cacioppo</a> on economics and social behavior I couldn’t help think of the <a href="http://www.iouc.org/p/cm/ld/fid=31">Oracle user groups</a> I’ve come to know in the past year.<br /><br />“Bringing experts together isn’t sufficient,” say Cacioppo. Real progress is made “when you foster a deeper connection” between people with different experiences.<br /><br />Here, for me, is the heart of his talk:<br />After you spend quality time with people at an event -- walking together, eating together -- you stop saying, “this is what I know,” and you start to actually know and like people and want to understand more about their perspective. Now you can start taking advantage of the knowledge that is unique to each person, not just the common knowledge of the group. That’s when growth happens. Curiosity wins out. You come to much better, deeper, more playful decisions.”Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-91038587171586767572009-01-29T10:32:00.000-08:002009-01-29T10:34:18.828-08:00What Good are Tech User Groups?Last week I met Ronan Miles of the powerhouse UK Oracle User Group (<a href="http://www.ukoug.org/">UKOUG</a>). Just look at their <a href="http://www.ukoug.org/calendar/">event list</a>. I put a simple questions to him: Why be part of a user group?<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BwcdzwEmuKM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BwcdzwEmuKM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-64531528535260567472009-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:002009-01-26T14:07:44.887-08:00A Lesson and a New Goal for 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN4e3HyCYtYWBROJ4gVkM_RnHxxaa2TnzBL3p0sj1hYTfKqg9owzSRD6d27v1jTGr-dxbDLcaaCwmAZNQ7cX_uY2DF4nKmGmma9Tao4RxkmVSBb5vV9klUHwwkkZzTR0I1N0cpDRcc2c/s1600-h/smile.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN4e3HyCYtYWBROJ4gVkM_RnHxxaa2TnzBL3p0sj1hYTfKqg9owzSRD6d27v1jTGr-dxbDLcaaCwmAZNQ7cX_uY2DF4nKmGmma9Tao4RxkmVSBb5vV9klUHwwkkZzTR0I1N0cpDRcc2c/s200/smile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294268905479732226" border="0" /></a><br />Just interviewed Mike Riley of the <a href="http://www.odtug.com/apex/f?p=500:1:7297738755861091">Oracle Development Tools User Group</a> (ODTUG). He’s in town for the <a href="http://www.iouc.org/p/cm/ld/fid=31">IOUC</a> conference . He didn’t say this on tape, but in the car back to his hotel he said being a member of ODTUG makes him much better at his work and helps him enjoy his job. He’s been a developer and project manager at the same insurance company for twenty years. TWENTY years. He says that ODTUG membership makes him part of a community that is “always trying something new, and always willing to help you,” he said. He also likes that his fellow members, based all over the world, look to him for his knowledge and leadership.<br /><br />My <a href="http://www.oracle.com/oramag/upclose/index.html">Up Close video interviews</a> for Oracle Magazine are convincing me that being part of a self-formed group pursuing excellence in any endeavor is a key to maintaining happiness and meaning in your work.<br /><br />I’ve been toiling on my own for too long. Another goal for 2009: join <a href="http://bayareawriters.ning.com/">a group of writers</a> and work with them to pursue excellence -- it is, I am learning from my tech friends, a route to happiness.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-33782097842862274552009-01-14T21:27:00.000-08:002009-01-15T09:22:47.676-08:00Goals for 2009I just came across Seth Godin’s admonition on <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/the-thing-about.html">goal setting</a>. I agree with him; goals are how we can make sure the work we do every day is taking us someplace we want to go. Upon quick reflection, my goals for 2009 as tech editor at Oracle:<br /><br />1. Make my new show “One-Minute Oracle,” into a hit. OMO explains Oracle technology announcements in quick, fun Web videos. I want each one to be featured on the top blogs dealing with the technology I’m explaining. I want my videos to feed a large number of eyes to more detailed stories in Oracle Magazine and to resources in the Oracle Technology network. The first show hits <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a> in early Feb.<br /><br />2. Bring the <a href="http://blogs.oracle.com/databaseinsider/">Oracle Database Insider blog</a> up in the rankings to be constantly in the top 20 Oracle blogs. This won’t happen over night (and luckily I’ve got several good partners in Oracle marketing who carry a lot of the weight). I will do my part to grow the blog the same way people accomplish everything that matters -- through consistency and relationships. If you’re in product management at Oracle, you might be getting a call or visit from me about this.<br /><br />3. Turn my magazine column and video podcast series, <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/08-nov/o68upclose.html">Up Close</a>, and <a href="http://www.oracle.com/oramag/upclose/index.html">Up Close Video</a> into a teaching and marketing resource for people involved in the user community. Up Close features interviews with leaders and members of the myriad Oracle technology user groups worldwide. These groups form independent of Oracle Corporation and are one of the company’s greatest assets.<br /><br />4. Do Lunch. Once a month I will arrange a lunch with an interesting outlier. I have acquaintances with expertise in finance, retailing, design, medicine, religion, and lots more. I’ll book ‘em, pay for lunch, and pick their brains. Last month I did lunch with Xavier Helgesen, CEO of <a href="http://www.betterworld.com/">Better World Books</a>. BWB is a top seller through eBay and Amazon, and an example the best in socially responsible business. I learned a lot about retailing online and the <a href="http://www.qrestaurant.com">meatloaf at Q </a>was delish.<br /><br />5. For everything else, my goal is to simply show up ready to play. My tactics for this: wake up early, write in the morning to set my direction for the day, run most days, put in a good day’s work, be honest, be frugal, be kind.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-24760113952831508322008-12-19T15:27:00.001-08:002008-12-19T15:28:54.871-08:00User Group Leadership: A Path to Success in Life?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2miFxi67IX1-1qeRf3a0DGN9YIfwEV3qzLzKQFir7ld2nA0aytzb9QH8O6DgZWl__ddTJVvEJwGCqZiLpd35gyMxUWernQ9e-9LKqIde4wBH0fLRZG5q3bkpwPPRat3qi3q3IMo3fiKQ/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2miFxi67IX1-1qeRf3a0DGN9YIfwEV3qzLzKQFir7ld2nA0aytzb9QH8O6DgZWl__ddTJVvEJwGCqZiLpd35gyMxUWernQ9e-9LKqIde4wBH0fLRZG5q3bkpwPPRat3qi3q3IMo3fiKQ/s200/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281647092457000722" border="0" /></a><br />I met with Steve Lemme of the IOUG for a story on user groups in Oracle Magazine, but the written story died during the editorial process. However I taped the interview for my Up Close series and the video lives on! My Up Close series focuses on the Oracle user group community. Steve is a true believer in user groups. He believes that joining one can make you better at using the technology. He believes that being a leader in the community leads to personal growth and professional satisfaction. But enough of me talking. Watch Steve <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/2569385">tell you himself</a>.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-49064485104404581852008-12-10T10:43:00.000-08:002008-12-10T10:50:04.972-08:00"World Changing" Database?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zOfDNWT_QE-8vP2Xi8lVlb9g1PkNjwmyLDU0UkjAWE_JX05YKXUNt-Yem-gog4XB5RakihD3h0ss3yNw2-gyr6UWoIUJHHUrj_Qks_lJgLLThRYrQ_cho7pHNMq7_XXUCSmRN5oIQTI/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zOfDNWT_QE-8vP2Xi8lVlb9g1PkNjwmyLDU0UkjAWE_JX05YKXUNt-Yem-gog4XB5RakihD3h0ss3yNw2-gyr6UWoIUJHHUrj_Qks_lJgLLThRYrQ_cho7pHNMq7_XXUCSmRN5oIQTI/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278234962492412706" border="0" /></a><br />“We’re living in the shadow of architectural decisions that were made decades ago... but all these architectural restraints have gone away...”<br />-- Terry Jones of <a href="http://www.fluidinfo.com/terry/">Fluid Info</a>.<br /><br />When <a href="http://scobleizer.com/">Scoble</a> and <a href="http://radar.oreilly.com/tim/">O’Rielly</a> call a new take on database technology “world changing,” I figure someone at Oracle should look into it. I would guess there are teams at Oracle thinking along these same lines, but I’m not sure exactly whom, so I shotgun this out to all. Here’s <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2008/12/05/the-unfundable-world-changing-startup/">Scoble’s post with videos</a>. Here’s the <a href="http://www.fluidinfo.com/terry/">inventor’s blog</a>. I’ll post something over at Oracle Mix to get the conversation started there.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-88746758099205132362008-12-04T09:31:00.000-08:002008-12-04T15:18:23.741-08:00How to Talk to Your Boss about REAL AnalyticsJeanne Harris, co-author of <a href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=R0601H"><span style="font-style: italic;">Competing on Analytics</span></a> knocked me out with her keynote address at the Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, and Analytics <a href="http://biwasummit08.org/?gclid=CK-rtJH3p5cCFRxNagodyUoK_g">(BIWA) Summit </a>this week at the Oracle Conference Center. <br /><br />I came away with an understanding of how analytics are being used by those who do it best. Her examples: Amazon, Harrah's casinos, and the Boston Red Sox have all “dominated their fields by deploying industrial-strength analytics across a wide variety of activities.” <br /><br />The talk was not heavy on technical details (the rest of the summit would provide those). Instead it focused on giving IT people the language they need to discuss the power of analytics with upper management. I caught up with her after the keynote to ask her to repeat some of what she had said. (Her publisher won’t allow me to run video, so the window below will only play audio.)<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxFT00e1YkcmzHJzy1NXsY-xEqByCH9llMErEYgXVyz191UG2FDlVMY7DWb0P8SCz4yUxk9lYYpTdc-tuNfGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-61315099245751617492008-10-13T10:54:00.000-07:002008-10-13T11:02:14.413-07:00A Map for the Post BEA EraI stopped by Ted Farrell's keynote at Oracle Develop 2008 and heard him give an overview of Oracle's "go forward" dev tools strategy in the wake of the influx of great technology from BEA. Below is a key section of the talk:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qGWDLRAIggM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qGWDLRAIggM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-25909533535894904562008-10-10T15:57:00.000-07:002008-10-10T16:03:12.886-07:00Speak, Write, WinIf you look at the people that make it to Oracle ACE status, they aren’t just good at technology they are also comfortable speaking and writing about what they do. (I know because I’ve interviewed many of them.) My advice? Get serious about your writing skills (as in take a class) and get over your fear of speaking publicly (as in join a <a href="http://www.oraclespeakers.org/">speakers group</a>). Here are a couple of examples to show you (and me), how it’s done.<br /><br />Here’s Tim O’Reilly helping his employees <a href="http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/10/thoughts-on-financial-crisis.html">face the economic meltdown</a>. It's a well thought out, well written blog post. His simple message: when things get tough be creative and do stuff that matters. Thanks to Scoble for leading me to this.<br /><br />Seth Godin at Google <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZnYRaQfjK4">pushing the ideas</a> in his latest book. He speaks so well that you keep watching that little Web video to hear what he’s got to say.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-81154709160782056562008-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:002008-09-24T16:07:56.020-07:00Exadata: It really works!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTUGxUhyYtFaikIEwFjQOk8yO6vhiqQXpaUq6qHZdMdiSXfXPqXde6mfumv6GUerw8M4hGxzNwPVLQZoSuCLqLJwxjonR6z8syQsL0P5KdTuwCvvTjlrmw80Jjv2pq_3t8slWAOBVrNM/s1600-h/Picture+15.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTUGxUhyYtFaikIEwFjQOk8yO6vhiqQXpaUq6qHZdMdiSXfXPqXde6mfumv6GUerw8M4hGxzNwPVLQZoSuCLqLJwxjonR6z8syQsL0P5KdTuwCvvTjlrmw80Jjv2pq_3t8slWAOBVrNM/s200/Picture+15.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249727164687667538" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For the past three months, I and a small group of people in the creative department at Oracle have been working in secret on the <a href="http://www.oracle.com/features/hp/exadata.html">HP Oracle Database Machine</a> that Larry just announced in his OpenWorld keynote. Our group has been writing scripts for demos and videos, designing branding elements, shooting photos, and art-directing Web and print pieces. But we had no access to any REAL information about how the product was doing in real-world tests. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Then at an Oracle Magazine lunch on Tuesday I sat next to a beta participant for the Oracle Exadata Database Machine. Once we had established that I was on the inside of the project, he shared a story that made me look forward to the announcement even more.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Without ever mentioning the product by name, the beta participant told me that the first time he used Exadata, he and his team thought they had made a mistake. The query came back too fast. They spent two hours on the line with Oracle trying to fix the problem. But there was no problem; Exadata was simply faster than anything they had experienced before.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I look forward to watching the the development of this technology in the real-world. And I’m glad the months of silence and code speak are behind us.</span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></div>Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-89990362358311101202008-09-16T13:57:00.000-07:002008-09-16T15:28:32.664-07:00Mix Profile - Ode to Gus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkCYqqz5m5rhkt64_itUrMAyiT-CTFK0vIHIb0BgmOkJc0b3z03OWqoEiY651TVJZhAppJVgim0Es2FYqNj-Lu5UO1Qm6bmTINJAgVRAvml347wWPt5mvoGrbDjWcrA8nTVGsxOisUF4/s1600-h/Picture+14.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkCYqqz5m5rhkt64_itUrMAyiT-CTFK0vIHIb0BgmOkJc0b3z03OWqoEiY651TVJZhAppJVgim0Es2FYqNj-Lu5UO1Qm6bmTINJAgVRAvml347wWPt5mvoGrbDjWcrA8nTVGsxOisUF4/s200/Picture+14.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246730972234230162" border="0" /></a><br />A friend of mine is a magazine <a href="http://www.gazzi.org/">illustrator</a> and when the editors want to publish his profile he often just jots down what he's eaten that day and maybe something about where he's been and sends it to them. It's often the most entertaining and informative profile in the magazine and I'll tell you why: you learn about people from the details of their lives and the small choices they make.<br /><br />In every beginning fiction class students are asked to create a character by showing the reader small details about the characters life, "what's in his fridge?" the teacher will ask, "what kind of shoes does she wear?"<br /><br />So in honor of Gus and my creative writing teachers, I wrote a new profile for <a href="https://mix.oracle.com/">Oracle Mix</a>. (It's not as cool as the ones Gus writes because I do have specific information I am trying to impart to colleagues. )<br /><br />Jeff Erickson eats oats and fruit every morning in the Oracle Plaza building and then sits down to write a story for the <a href="http://www.oracle.com/newsletters/samples/database.html">Database Insider</a> or the <a href="http://www.oracle.com/newsletters/samples/fusion-middleware.html">Fusion Middleware newsletter</a>. Or he might work on a news story for <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/08-sep/index.html">Oracle Magazine</a> or on his Oracle community column, <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technology/oramag/oracle/08-sep/o58upclose.html">Up Close</a>. Throughout the morning he will fret about updating his blog. Then it’s off to the gym at lunch where he straps on his shoes for a run along the bay with friends. Except on Wednesdays when he meets the <a href="http://www.oraclespeakers.org/">Oracle Speakers</a> group in Building 300. After downing a sandwich at his desk, he’ll spend the afternoon lining up interviews or writing scripts for Oracle <a href="http://www.oraclespeakers.org/">Demos</a> or for his new show, One Minute Oracle. Throughout the day <a href="https://mix.oracle.com/user_profiles/16041-lawrence-leung">Lawrence Leung</a> peppers him with requests to review updates or write short tech features for <a href="http://www.oracle.com/database/index.html">Oracle.com</a>. Then he hops on his bike for the trip home and frets a little more about updating his <a href="http://www.blogger.com/My%20blog:%20http://www.techspectator.blogspot.com">blog</a>.<br /><br />Update: The character count in the Oracle Mix profiles is quickly eaten up by html links, so you can't publish link heavy profiles like this one. I've asked them to fix this.Jeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349263980989896476.post-75429838403917887712008-08-26T13:21:00.000-07:002008-08-26T13:34:48.079-07:00It's HARD to Break the Marketing Mold<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NhIzxbxjesLq5E2xhD0rZggA52vC9Ke3NIZwlNQKtFyjT6hDHLYc95pWZ-zYxox-Jpke5NNnpd8Afs5jTaqTu1QECNDw8J1G4hf_Zlx_zyitWCRv6ucLBRxn_7tkY063oLyDjVpqkR4/s1600-h/Picture+12.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NhIzxbxjesLq5E2xhD0rZggA52vC9Ke3NIZwlNQKtFyjT6hDHLYc95pWZ-zYxox-Jpke5NNnpd8Afs5jTaqTu1QECNDw8J1G4hf_Zlx_zyitWCRv6ucLBRxn_7tkY063oLyDjVpqkR4/s200/Picture+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238926483639507602" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday a friend who is starting an <a href="http://www.oracle.com/blogs/index.html">Oracle blog</a> emailed me her first post. I won’t share it here, but it a was well-written piece of marketing copy about an industry analyst report. Here’s my reply to her:<br /><br /><blockquote>It's good, of course, but I think it's off the mark.<br /><br />I think your posts need to add value right off the bat and need to ENGAGE something that’s out there on the Web or at an event, or something that’s happening here at campus.<br /><br />For example, what is [our competitor] saying about the analyst numbers and how can you set the record straight?<br /><br />Or how are these numbers reflected in the moves that Oracle is making? Do they mean that we can scale up developers and do stuff that others can’t? Are there some examples, such as a hiring binge in India or China or here? Are we using our market share advantage to pump out database options that no one else has the resources to build and is there someone from one of those teams that has a blog you can reference?<br /><br />Other ideas for posts: Is there a new database learning event out there and is there a blog post about it you can link to? Did someone from Oracle just go to the TDWI conference and give a talk or learn something new and blog about it? Or can you link to their abstract and tell people where to learn more?<br /><br />Is someone you know planning something interesting (that we can talk about) at OpenWorld: an interesting session topic, or an off-site event; something “inside” that you can show people? This is the kind of stuff you should lead with. This is the kind of stuff that will engage people in the blog.<br /><br />What do you think?</blockquote>It's hard to break away from the official marketing voice that we've learned over the years and speak directly to people. I applaud my friend for making the first step.<br />- JeffJeff Ericksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09182516493228818760noreply@blogger.com2